1
CONTESTANT NO.____________
2011 UNDERGRADUATE RANGE MANAGEMENT EXAM
(a mini-URME)
Society for Range Management, Wyoming Section Meeting
Lander, Wyoming
November 17, 2011
Instructions
This examination consists of 51 multiple choice questions. Choose the one
best answer for each question and fill in the appropriate circle on the scantron
answer sheet provided.
Put your assigned contestant number on this examination booklet. Put your
name and contestant number on the scantron answer sheet.
Length of Testing Period
60 Minutes
Grading
The entire examination is worth 150 points.
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I. RANGE ECOLOGY (30 points)
1. Ecology is defined as:
a. The interaction between living organisms and their environment
b. The combination of external physical conditions affecting the growth and
development of organisms
c. The part of earth, its waters, and atmosphere where organisms can live
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
2. Which of the following statements is most correct regarding rangeland ecosystems?
a. Biotic components consist of primary producers, consumers and decomposers
b. Abiotic components consist of soil and climatic factors
c. Humans are a part of rangeland ecosystems
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
3. For non-woody plant dominated rangelands, the aboveground carbon pool represents
approximately ______ of the total ecosystem carbon pool.
a. <5%
b. 20%
c. 50%
d. 80%
4. The stable isotope 15N can be used to determine photosynthetic pathways of plants.
a. True
b. False
5. Which of the following would be a representative 13C value for a C4 plant species?
a. –13‰
b. 0‰
c. –27‰
d. none of the above
3
For questions 6-9, please use the following figure (Ravi et al. 2010 REM)
6. (4 pts) The relationship depicted in the figure between fire frequency and grass
connectivity is:
a. Negative
b. Positive
c. Antagonistic
d. Adverse
7. (4 pts) Which of the vegetation states in the figure is the most stable?
a. Grassland
b. Grass-shrub transition
c. Shrubland
d. Not enough information provided to determine
8. (4 pts) Which of the statements is most correct about fire from the figure?
a. Grassland can be maintained with low fire frequency
b. Shrubland can be maintained with high fire frequency
c. Fire is needed with sufficient grass connectivity to prevent the degradation of
this site from grassland to shrubland
d. Not enough information provided to determine
9. (4 pts) Which of the statements is most correct about resource heterogeneity from the
figure?
a. Resource heterogeneity and potential degradation are not coupled
b. Reducing resource heterogeneity is often associated with shifting the plant
community to one dominated by woody plants
c. Resource heterogeneity increases as grass connectivity decreases resulting
in ‘nutrient islands’ or ‘islands of fertility’ associated with woody plants
d. Not enough information provided to determine
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For question 10, please use the following figure (Pineiro et al. 2010 REM)
10. (4 pts) Which of the following statements is most correct regarding pools of N?
a. The largest pool of N is found in soil organic matter
b. The smallest pool is in the atmosphere as reactive N
c. The largest pool is in the atmosphere as stable N
d. The N pool in plants/animals aboveground is greater than the N pool in
plants/animals belowground
II. GRAZING MANAGEMENT (26 points)
11. Residual biomass on rangelands is defined as:
a. The proportion or degree of current year’s production that has been consumed by
animals
b. The determination of herbage material or stubble height left after a grazing or
use period, which is independent of annual production
c. The proportion or degree of current year’s production that has been destroyed by
animals
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12. A grazing system that has 7 paddocks and a 49 day rest period will take ____ days for
one complete rotation.
a. 7
b. 49
c. 56
d. 343
13. (4 pts) How many days should a herd of 150 steers (average weight = 454 kg each)
graze in a 125 ha pasture that has a grazing capacity of 0.5 ha/AUM?
a. 12.7
b. 18.1
c. 50.7
d. 72.4
14. Young plants compared to older plants have a ______ percentage of lignin and
cellulose and ______ digestibility.
a. Lower, higher
b. Lower, lower
c. Higher, higher
d. Higher, lower
15. In comparing cecum and ruminant digestive systems, the cecum digestive system
allows for relative _____ intake rates of fibrous forage, whereas the ruminant digestive
system allows for _____ efficient use of fibrous forage and microbial protein.
a. Higher, more
b. Lower, more
c. Higher, less
d. Lower, less
16. (4 pts) Ranchette owners Mr. and Mrs. Simpson would like to determine how many
horses (1.3 AUE) they can graze year-round on their recently purchased 16-ha area.
They visit with neighbors over coffee and find out that the locals have typically grazed
22 cow-calf pairs (1.3 AUE) on 129 ha pastures from June 15 to November 1. Which is
the most correct answer?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
17. (4 pts) If feed stuff weighing 2400 g contains 60 g of nitrogen, what percent crude
protein is the feedstuff?
a. 0.4%
b. 2.5%
c. 14.4%
d. 15.6%
e. 40.0%
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18. Which of the following are higher for aboveground tissues of shortgrass plant species
(e.g., Bouteloua gracilis) than for tallgrass plant species (e.g., Andropogon gerardii)?
a. Carbon to nitrogen ratios
b. Lignin to nitrogen ratios
c. % lignin
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
19. (4 pts) A producer is contemplating a switch from a ewe-lamb (AU=0.2) to a cow-calf
(AU=1.3) grazing operation. Implementation of this switch in grazing operations will not
involve changing the grazing season, which will remain year-round. In addition, the
stocking rate will remain the same as the prior year. Which of the following statements
is most correct regarding the total number of grazing animals with the cow-calf grazing
operation?
a. There will be the same number of cow-calf pairs as ewe-lamb pairs the previous
year
b. There will be about 15% as many cow-calf pairs as ewe-lamb pairs the
previous year
c. There will be about 65% as many cow-calf pairs as ewe-lamb pairs the previous
year
d. There will be about 650% as many cow-calf pairs as ewe-lamb pairs the previous
year
e. Not enough information provided to determine
IIa. GRAZING MANAGEMENT PROBLEM (5 points) – See END OF TEST
III. RANGE IMPROVEMENT (24 points)
20. (4 pts) A herbicide sprayer outputs 35 liters/min and has a 20 m spray width. If the
desired application rate is 120 liters/ha, how fast should the operator drive?
a. 2.2 km/hr
b. 2.9 km/hr
c. 5.2 km/hr
d. 8.8 km/hr
e. 29.0 km/hr
21. Which of the following fuels are typically highly volatile and produce fire brands?
a. Deciduous tree
b. Prior year standing herbaceous material
c. Grasses
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
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For questions 22-23, please use the following figure (Houlton and Field 2010 REM)
22. (4 pts) Standing crop biomass was enhanced relative to control plots by which of the
following nutrient additions?
a. All nutrient additions containing P (alone or in combination)
b. All nutrient additions containing K (alone or in combination)
c. All nutrient additions containing Ca (alone or in combination)
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
23. (4 pts) For this study, what is the general message for land managers concerning N, P,
and K nutrient additions?
a. The combination of nutrients N and P was more effective at increasing
standing crop biomass than the combination of P and K or N and K
b. The combination of N, P and K was more effective at increasing standing crop
biomass than any of the two-way combinations of these nutrients
c. Addition of any one of the three nutrients will result in increasing standing crop
biomass relative to the control plots
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
24. Interseeding a legume into native rangelands:
a. Decreases forage production
b. Decreases soil nitrogen
c. Increases carbon to nitrogen ratios of plant leaves
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
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For questions 25-26, please use the following table (Benzel et al. 2009 REM)
25. (4 pts) Spotted knapweed bud numbers and flower heads:
a. Can be negatively impacted by multiple, but not single, defoliations
b. Are more negatively impacted by a single defoliation in the bolting stage compared
to the full-flower stage
c. Are similarly affected by a single defoliation in either June or July
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
26. (4 pts) Multiple defoliations of spotted knapweed:
a. Result in a maximum of 18% of the number of buds and flower heads
produced by control plants
b. Reduce by 18% the number of buds and flower heads produced by control plants
c. Completely eradicate this invasive weed
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
IIIa. RANGE IMPROVEMENT PROBLEM (5 points) - SEE END OF TEST
IV. RANGE REGIONS (14 points)
27. Which of the following range types is currently the least likely to be affected by the
invasion of woody shrubs?
a. Fescue grasslands
b. Tallgrass prairie
c. Semi-desert grass shrub
d. Shortgrass prairie
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28. Palouse Prairie:
a. Has a moderate grazing resistance and is C4 grass dominated
b. Has a high grazing resistance and is C3 grass dominated
c. Has a high grazing resistance and has a spring-dominated precipitation pattern
d. Has a winter-dominated precipitation pattern and has a moderate grazing
resistance
29. In areas of the North American Great Plains region with a climate that is warm and dry,
this subfamily would be expected to be dominant?
a. Panicoideae
b. Chloridoideae
c. Pooideae
d. Poaceae
e. Fescue grasslands
30. California Annual Grassland:
a. Is dominated by C4 grasses and has a winter-dominated precipitation pattern
b. Exhibits a low grazing resistance and is shrub-dominated
c. Has a winter-dominated precipitation pattern and is dominated by C3 grasses
d. Exhibits a high grazing resistance and is dominated a mix of C3 and C4 grasses
31. Shortgrass Prairie:
a. Has a long evolutionary history of grazing by large herbivores
b. Has current vegetation this is dominated by C3 perennial grasses
c. Exhibits a savanna appearance in vegetation with scattered mottes of shrubs
d. Has a low grazing resistance
32. Which of the following is the correct order regarding size of the hot deserts (smallest to
largest)?
a. Mojave, Chihuahuan, Sonoran
b. Chihuahuan, Sonoran, Mojave
c. Sonoran, Mojave, Chihuahuan
d. Mojave, Sonoran, Chihuahuan
33. Currently, which of the following range types covers the largest land area?
a. Shortgrass Prairie
b. Southern Pine Forest
c. Tallgrass Prairie
d. Northern Mixed Grass
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V. RANGE INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS (20 points)
34. Which of the following plots would have the largest perimeter to area ratio?
a. Circular plot with area of 1m2
b. Square plot with area of 1m2
c. Rectangular plot with area of 1m2
35. Range condition classification according to the quantitative climax approach of
Dyksterhuis was based on:
a. Vigor of dominant plant species
b. Percent of climax species in the plant community
c. Percent of highly palatable plant species for livestock
d. Ground cover for soil protection
e. Diversity of plant species in the community
36. Which of the following statements is NOT always true?
a. Systematic sampling in a regular population is random
b. Random sampling in a regular population is random
c. Systematic sampling in a random population is random
d. Random sampling in a random population is random
37. Which of the following plant characteristics is least subject to annual fluctuations?
a. Basal cover
b. Frequency
c. Canopy cover
d. Biomass
38. (4 pts) Using the photo scale of 1:50,000, what is the area of a rectangular pasture with
sides of 2 cm and 30 mm?
a. 24 ha
b. 60 ha
c. 150 ha
d. 600 ha
39. (4 pts) After clipping a vegetation sample, you determine that the wet weight was 0.518
kg and after drying to a constant weight the over dry weight is 131 g. What is the %
moisture of this sample on a both a wet weight basis and a dry weight basis?
a. Wet weight basis: 75%; dry weight basis: 75%
b. Wet weight basis: 75%; dry weight basis: 295%
c. Wet weight basis: 295%; dry weight basis: 75%
d. Wet weight basis: 295%; dry weight basis: 295%
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For question 40, please use the following figure (Limb et al. 2010 REM)
40. (4 pts) Land manager Alexander currently has a canopy cover of eastern red cedar of
20% on his ranch and the expectation is that over the next 10 years this value will
increase to 55%. What is the projected reduction in herbaceous biomass from his
ranch at that time?
a. 911 kg/ha
b. 1595 kg/ha
c. 2222 kg/ha
d. 2506 kg/ha
e. 3817 kg/ha
Va. RANGE INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS PROBLEM (10 points) - SEE END OF TEST
VI. MULTIPLE USE RELATIONSHIPS (16 points)
41. Which introduced species is suspected of being the most significant known factor
contributing to the loss of native plant and animal species in Australia?
a. European rabbit
b. Feral goat
c. Feral pig
d. African zebra
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42. Infiltration is defined as the _____, whereas percolation refers to the _____.
a. Movement of water into a soil profile; movement of water from the soil profile into a
plant root
b. Movement of water within a soil profile; movement of water into a soil profile
c. Movement of water from the soil profile to the atmosphere; movement of water
within a soil profile
d. Movement of water into a soil profile; movement of water from the soil profile to the
atmosphere
e. Movement of water into a soil profile; movement of water within a soil profile
43. The kinetic energy of a given amount of rain depends on the sizes and terminal
velocities of the raindrops. These factors are associated with rainfall::
a. Probability
b. Return interval
c. Intensity
d. None of the above
44. Geologic erosion is defined as _____, whereas accelerated erosion is defined as ____.
a. Normal erosion for a natural environment; erosion occurring at a slower rate than
geologic
b. Erosion caused by man’s disturbances; normal erosion for a natural environment
c. Erosion occurring at a higher rate than accelerated; erosion caused by man’s
disturbances
d. Normal erosion for a natural environment; erosion caused by man’s
disturbances
e. Erosion caused by man’s disturbances; erosion occurring at a higher rate than
geologic
45. Which of the following statements regarding the detrimental effects of grazing animals
on trees is most correct?
a. Hardwoods are damaged more by sheep than cattle
b. Conifers are damaged less by cattle than sheep
c. Older trees are generally more susceptible than young seedlings
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
46. Dietary overlap between cattle and pronghorn:
a. Is greater than dietary overlap between cattle and sheep
b. Increases during periods of drought
c. Is greater than dietary overlap between sheep and pronghorn
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
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For question 47, please use the following table (Huntsinger et al. 2010 REM)
47. (4 pts) Which of the following statements regarding land use is most correct?
a. Property grazing of cattle/sheep was the principal land use on these hardwood
rangelands in each year
b. A minority of landowners receive income from fee hunting or fishing
c. More landowners produce livestock than food crop in all years
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
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GRAZING MANAGEMENT PROBLEM (5 points)
You conduct a survey to determine the population of elk (0.7 AUE) on a 3000 hectare
watershed in the Rocky Mountains. Five randomly located belt transects that are 200 cm
wide and 0.4 km long are used. Along each belt transect you count pellet groups, being
careful to only tally those that are less than 1 year old. The data are provided in the table
below. Assume that elk defecate 12 times per day.
Transect
1
2
3
4
5
Pellet
Groups
30
15
17
24
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48. (5 pts) Elk use for the watershed in terms of AUM/ha is:
a. 0.20
b. 0.45
c. 0.64
d. 2.20
e. 4.00
Answer: 94 pellet groups/4,000m2 (belt transect width) x 10,000m2/ha x 1elk day/12 pellet
groups x 1month/30.4day x 0.7elk/AU = 0.45 AUM/ha
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RANGE IMPROVEMENTS PROBLEM (5 points)
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
50 AUD/ha
D/ha
40 AU
3
/h
UD
0A
2
120
151
UD
0A
a
/ha
181 212 243 273 304
Day of the Year
Figure 1. Leafy Spurge population reductions in relation
to sheep stocking rate and timing of grazing.
% Reduction
In Population
% Reduction
In Population
Populations of the alien invasive weed leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) can be controlled on
native rangelands with targeted sheep grazing, if stocking rates are kept high enough once
plants have emerged (see Figure 1). However, increased grazing pressure can also
threaten population persistence of later developing endangered plants growing at the
same location (see Figure 2).
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
ha
D/
5
U
0A
/h
40
a
D
AU
ha
D/
3
U
0A
20 A
120
UD/
ha
151
181 212 243 273 304
Day of the Year
Figure 2. Endangered plant population reductions in
relation to sheep stocking rate and timing of grazing.
Assumptions: You are given a sheep flock of 270 ewes without lambs, and 8 rams (1
sheep = 0.2 AUE) to be grazed on a property of 256 hectares from May 1 to October 31.
On this property is a single patch (110 meters by 1000 meters) that is infested by leafy
spurge and also occupied by an endangered plant. You will not be limited by costs or
methods of targeting the grazing (i.e. shepherds, dogs, temporary fencing, water), but the
flock cannot be split-up and must be maintained as a single group at all times.
49. (5 pts) Which of the 4 stocking rates displayed in Figures 1 and 2 maximizes the
number of days where both leafy spurge populations are reduced by >50% and losses
of the endangered plant population are kept <25%?
a. 20 AUD/ha
b. 30 AUD/ha
c. 40 AUD/ha
d. 50 AUD/ha
20 AUD/ha never achieves leafy spurge control >50%; 30 AUD/ha has no window
where leafy spurge control >50% and endangered plant impacts are <25%; 50
AUD/ha has about a ~5 day window where leafy spurge control >50% and
endangered plant impacts are <25%. The shorter duration and higher stocking rate
could also reduce logistical costs of providing water and shepherds for such a short
time, but it does not allow much flexibility in time for gathering and moving the flock
and any delays due to weather. Only at 40 AUD/ha is there an approximately 30 day
window where leafy spurge control >50% and endangered plant impacts are <25%.
The longer duration and lower stocking rate could mean increased logistical costs
of providing water and shepherds, but it also allows some flexibility in time for
gathering and moving the flock and any delays due to weather.
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RANGE INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS PROBLEM – 10 points total
You have been charged with estimating cattle utilization as part of your duties as a ranch
manager for a 15,000 ha ranch. The 500-ha Willow Springs pasture is of particular interest
to the ranch owner due to implementation of a new grazing system. To assess utilization
you randomly placed 10, 1.0-m2 grazing exclosures within the key areas of the Willow
Springs pasture. At the conclusion of the grazing season you clipped end-of-growing
season herbage in 3, 0.09-m2 circular quadrats inside each exclosure and 5, 0.09-m2
circular quadrats randomly placed in grazed areas near the exclosure.
Table 1. Clipped weights (g/0.09m2) inside and outside the Willow Springs #5 exclosure.
Quadrat
1
2
3
4
5
Exclosure weights
42
36
19
Outside exclosure weights
25
2
20
7
9
50. (5 pts) What is the percentage utilization from fresh clipped weights at this exclosure?
a. 31%
b. 39%
c. 61%
d. 69%
Answer: Calculated as ((32.3-12.6)/32.3)*100 = 61%, where 32.3g = mean exclosure
weights and 12.6g = mean outside exclosure weights
For the next grazing season, you measure Robel pole readings at 5 locations around the
Willow Springs 5 exclosure (see Table below) in early June and late September. Previous
efforts at this site determined the relationship between standing crop (kg/ha) and Robel
height (cm) to be: y = 177 x + 225.
Robel sample
Robel reading
Robel reading
number
(mm) in early June
(mm) in late September
1
90
60
2
120
90
3
170
110
4
120
90
5
90
60
51. (5 pts) What is the standing crop in early June?
a. 231 kg/ha
b. 1676 kg/ha
c. 2314 kg/ha
d. 14739 kg/ha
e. 21111 kg/ha
Answer: Average robel pole reading is 11.8 cm. So y = 177 (11.8) + 225 = 2314 kg/ha